I had plotbunnies in my head. Lol. That and the fact I was severely depressed, seeing as

the country's falling apart at the seems and people everywhere are thick-headed and do

stupid things.

...I mean...

Chirpy! n.n

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The 'D' Word

"D-Kratos! Look out!"

The auburn haired Seraph spun on a dime, thrusting his sword through the reaper that had been

about to attack. Kratos pulled out his sword and then procceeded to hit the monster with a 'hell

pyre', vanquishing it. Lloyd sighed in relief a split second before dodging an oncoming angel,

retaliating with a rising falcon. Before long the foes were defeated.

"Whew...That was close." Sheena wiped her forhead.

"Aw man!" Zelos griped. "Seriously, man! These things are freaking hard!"

"It's Derris-Kharlan, what do you expect?" Raine sighed. "With this much mana, they're sure to

be strong..."

"We should get moving." Kratos said, looking down the stone path. "We need to stop Mithos."

"Right! Let's-!" Lloyd started. "Hey! What's-?"

The teen caught sight of a nasty gash on Kratos' arm, eyes going wide.

"D- Kratos! You're hurt!" he said.

"..." Kratos examined his arm. "...I was careless."

"Are you okay?!" Lloyd blurted. "Professor! Can you heal D- Kratos?"

"It's not that bad, Lloyd." Kratos stated cooly. "...Healing stream!"

A stream-like flow of healing magic wove around him, his wound disappearing.

"O-oh...right..." Lloyd finished quietly.

"Thank you for your concern." Kratos put his hand to his head in his trademark manner.

"...Are you sure you're okay, D- I mean,...are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Kratos stated again.

"Stop fussing, Lloyd, you're acting like Colette." Genis said.

Genis immediately slapped himself, as Colette's name depressed Lloyd.

"H-hey! Cheer up! We'll find her soon! I know it!" the half-elf stammered.

"She'll be fine, Lloyd." Kratos stated. "Provided we hurry."

"Huh? Oh...right." Lloyd nodded. "Let's go!"

Thus they started down the path again and before long, Kratos was at the far back of the group.

"...Sooo..." Zelos trailed, speeding up to walk next to Lloyd.

"Huh? What?" Lloyd asked.

"What's with you and the 'D' word, huh?" he asked.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Lloyd blinked.

"Well...you know." Sheena jumped in. "You always start, but never quite..."

"Start what? Never quite what?" the brunnette looked perplexed.

"You know!" Genis said. "You always start to say, 'Dad' when you talk to Kratos!"

"Wh-what?! When have I done that?!"

"Approximately twenty-two times." Presea stated.

"Wha-? I never called D- Kratos-! I've never almost called D- Kratos- d-" Lloyd stammered.

"Twenty-five." the pinkette stated.

"It's only natural, Lloyd, you don't have to be so embarassed." Raine stated, smirking slightly.

"Wh-what?! I-! I can't call him that! Not after what he did!"

"What, so you don't care about him?" Zelos asked.

"Wha-? No! Of course I care about Dad-!"

"You just called him 'Dad'." Regal said, an amused smirk on his face.

Lloyd slammed his hand over his mouth.

"Gotcha!" Genis smirked.

"Shut up, Genis!" Lloyd snarled.

"But you did! You called him DAD! D, A, D-! OW!"

Lloyd hit his friend upside the head.

"I told you to shut up!!"

"I think it's sweet." Sheena smirked.

"Wha-?"

"There's nothing wrong with acknowledging your father, Lloyd." Regal said.

"Well...well..." Lloyd muttered. "But..He betrayed us! He used us! He put Colette, the worlds,

and all of you guys through all of this...I mean, I'm glad he's with us and he's on our side, but he

did horrible things!"

"Even so." Raine became somber. "He is still your father, Lloyd."

"But...but..." Lloyd stammered, pale.

"Aw geez, this is pathetic!" Zelos scoffed.

"Zelos!" Sheena snapped.

"No, seriously! Like it or not Lloyd, he's your old man and he CARES about you! I mean, yeah,

he did some shit." Zelos said. "But he's doing his best to make up for it! For you!"

"..." Lloyd gaped.

"Seriously, man," Zelos shook his head. "It could be worse, he could not give a damn about you."

"Zelos..."

"He's your old man, he loves you, deal with it." the chosen snapped.

There was a silence.

"Well, technically he's your old old old old old old old old OLD man, but hey, same thing."

Everyone sighed.

"Well, if Lloyd doesn't want to discuss it further. We should drop it." Regal stated.

"I agree. Let's get moving." Raine said.

Everyone backed off from Lloyd to let him walk a little to himself, giving him some room to think.

However, after a few minutes when Lloyd had yet to cheer up, Genis took matters into his own

hands.

"Lloyd." Genis said.

"Huh? Uh...what?" Lloyd looked down at his friend.

"Lloyd, I'm your best friend. Come on, what's wrong?" he asked.

"...I don't know, Genis." Lloyd sighed. "Everytime I talk to him I just want to...call him THAT."

"Well, why not? He IS your Dad." Genis said.

"Well...yeah...but...he didn't raise me, Dirk did. Dirk's my Dad. ...But..."

"I don't think it really matters if he raised you or not." Genis said. "I just think it matters if...

Look, remember when Raine and I met our Mother? I was so sad...that she didn't remember us

at all." the half-elf looked saddened. "But when we read her diary, we found out she did it for us,

because she loved us...So I love her. She's my Mom."

"...Well..." Lloyd frowned.

"You call Anna: 'Mom', right? She didn't raise you."

"But she's my Mom! I love her!"

"Well, why?" Genis raised an eyebrow.

"Because she loved me! I'm sure of it!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Exactly. So what's different about Kratos?"

"..." Lloyd froze.

The boy's eyes went wide in shock, Genis had a point... What...was different about Kratos?

"Kratos loves you, Lloyd." the boy said. "He did so much to help us, without ever thinking you

were ever going to know. He did everything he could to help you, even though you hated him,

because he loved you."

"..." Lloyd frowned, thinking it over.

"See? You're even acting like him with the dot dot dots!" Genis laughed.

"H-hey!" Lloyd stammered.

"...You know, we don't mind if you call him Dad." Genis smiled.

"Huh?"

"...Part of the reason you won't call him Dad is because you think that would be betraying us in

some way, right? That if you liked him it would be saying you didn't care what he did to us?"

"That's..." Lloyd trailed.

"We don't mind, Lloyd." Genis said again. "In fact, I think you should."

"But..."

"But what?"

"...Does he really... I mean, are you sure he loves me?" Lloyd mumbled sadly.

"...Yeah. I'm sure, Lloyd." the boy nodded.

"...But what if-?"

"LLOYD! GENIS!"

The friends jumped apart as an arrow shot between them, the angel that had fired it coming in

sight. Lloyd drew his swords and charged at the angel while Genis began casting. The battle

escalated into a frenzy in less than seconds, the group fighting back against the horde of angels

and monsters attempting to kill them. However, Lloyd soon found himself in a nasty situation as

he was taking on three angels at once.

"Oh shi-! AUGH-!"

Lloyd let out a cry of pain, having been shot in the leg by an archer, causing him to stumble. From

several feet away Kratos' attention shot to Lloyd, his eyes going wide with the sound of his son's

shout echoing in his ear.

The reaction was swift.

SLASH!

Kratos tore through the beings separating him from his son, delivering slashes faster than the eye

could precieve. As Kratos sliced one angel another came up beside him and attempted to slice

him. The Seraph's reaction was to simply jump over the enemy blade and send his foot smashing

into his foe's face with a roundhouse kick before stabbing it's skull up through it's chin. However,

before the auburn-head could react in time an angel took another attempt at Lloyd.

"Ah-!" Lloyd attempted to move his weapons up.

CLANG!

Kratos had knocked the attacker back, but that's when reinforcements arrived. About a dozen

angels had flown to the scene in order to eliminate 'Lord Yggdrasills' enemies. However, Kratos

wasn't finished yet.

"I won't let you get near him." Kratos hissed quietly.

The Seraph stuck his sword into the ground, a wide circle of mana spreading from it and

engulging all the angels. Kratos then left the sword out, drew his wings and let out a shout, his

own mana exploding out from him.

"SHINING BIND!"

When the light died down, nothing remained of the angels but some charred feathers.

"W-wooooaaaaaahhhh!" Lloyd and Genis gaped.

Kratos had his feet on the ground, his wings disappearing. The man looked as if he was...panting?

The normally, seemingly untiring, Kratos was out of breath. The man looked over his shoulder at

Lloyd, looking winded.

"Are...you...all right...?" he managed to huff.

Lloyd nodded, stunned at the bizarre sight.

"...Heh..." Kratos forced a small smirk. "Good...now I..."

The angel stumbled and fell onto his rear, sitting on the ground absolutely exhausted.

"D-!" Lloyd started.

"Kratos?!" several shocked gasps chimed.

The rest of the group ran over, partially to see if Lloyd was all right and partially to see the usually

melancholic Kratos sitting winded on the cold ground.

"What did you DO?" Raine asked.

"Please..." Kratos said in between breaths. "Lloyd's leg..."

"Oh! Of course!"

Raine ran over to Lloyd to examine his wound, but the boy's attention was on the back of the

head of the auburn-haired swordsman before him. That was the second time Kratos had

collapsed before him after saving his life. The second time his father had protected him- Lloyd

shook his head. No. He wasn't going to call him 'father' or 'Dad' or anything,...but...

"What did you DO?!"

Raine's scoffing voice snapped him back to reality, as the half-elf woman was shouting at Kratos.

"...I used my mana as a weapon, that's all." Kratos stated cooly.

"Used your mana?!" Raine cried. "You haven't had time to fully recover it! You released most of

it at the seal earlier! In this amount of time you could only recover half of it! IF THAT!"

"..."

"You used what little supply you had left at once?! I realize your have a huge supply of mana to

begin with, Kratos, but that's no excuse to go using it like that!" Raine snapped. "Look at you!

You can't even stand!"

"..."

"I thought you'd have some common sense, Kratos! Usually you're so sensible! Why did you-?!"

"Lloyd was in trouble." Kratos stated curtly.

The group froze, and frankly, Raine didn't have a reply for that.

"...Grr..."

SMACK!

Half the group fell over, Kratos looking as if he had just seen Lloyd eat a tomato. Raine had just

smacked Kratos upside the head, fuming furiously as she growled to herself.

"H-hey! Professor!" Lloyd stammered. "What was that for?!"

"For sounding just like you." Raine huffed. "Honestly..."

Kratos looked dazed, then shook his head.

"Did...you just...smack me...?" he asked, as if not believing what had just happened.

"That's one for the history books!" Zelos said.

"..."

"Hey D-...Kratos, are you okay?" Lloyd asked.

"...I'll be fine." Kratos nodded. "How is your leg? Is it wounded?"

Lloyd shook his head, "I'm good, the Professor fixed me right up."

"Good..."

"...Why did you...do that? Using all your mana like that isn't smart, right?"

"..." Kratos sighed. "I didn't have much of a choice."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Lloyd blinked obliviously

"..." Kratos closed his eyes.

"...D-"

"HEALING CIRCLE!"

A glyph of blue healing light surrounded Kratos, Raine, it's caster, looking annoyed.

"Come on, that should be enough for now. Let's go." she said.

Kratos got to his feet, able to move easily after the spell's treatment.

"...Okay, let's go." Lloyd said, heading the group once more.

"..." Kratos found himself at the back once again.

Lloyd looked back at his father, looking saddened. If he could, he wanted to talk to Kratos some

more...even though they had talked a lot at Flanior that night, he still... Lloyd pressed his hand

against the pendant hidden under his clothes. It made him feel safer having that around his neck. It

hadn't only saved his life, but...Kratos had given it to him. However, it was some time later that

Lloyd had the chance to think about any of this again. After everyone was trapped in the Derris-

Emblem and he found Colette, the task of finding his companions began in Welgaia. The first

place he came upon was a floor that he was sucked down into, earning a cry of 'Lloyd!' from

Colette and an unnerved gasp from Lloyd himself.

"Woah, what just...? Ah!"

On the floor above appeared three figures whom he recognized as Sheena, Zelos and Kratos.

"Woah, where...?" Zelos asked.

"Is this the location of the seal?" Kratos wondered aloud.

That's when the center of the floor began to swirl, like a dark whirpool as three dark strips

reached out to each of them and wrapped around their ankles, pulling them to the center.

"We're going to sucked into the circle!" Sheena gasped.

"Aw crap! RUN FOR IT!" Zelos shouted.

The three of them attempted to run as the dark ropes reeled them in closer to the center. That's

when three more figures appeared, shocking Lloyd. Seles, Kuchinawa, and-

"HOLY-!"

Himself.

"Well well, what a rare sight Kratos." he watched his own face smirk.

That was impossible! How could...?

"Hello o chosen." Seles sneered.

"Sheena, looking in a tight spot, are we?" Kuchinawa growled.

"Wh-what's going on?!" Sheena gasped.

"Don't pay attention to them!" Zelos cried.

"They're only illusions." Kratos stated cooly, keeping his eyes away from 'Lloyd's face.

"I'm not an illusion." the double snapped. "You've spent such a long time turning a blind eye to

Mithos, you've lost all ability to see. You're absoultely pathetic, you know that?"

"You grew up in Mizuho and you can't tell if I'm real or an illusion?!"

"Hah! How pathetic!" Seles crowed.

However, the real Lloyd wasn't as concerned- well, he was concerned, just not as

CAPTIVATED by the other conversations going on besides the one between his father and his

doppleganger.

"Just keep on running, that's all you ever do." his double smirked.

Lloyd was stunned. What this double was saying...was exactly what went on through his head a

good lot of the time. Far back in his mind, the part that accussed and resented Kratos. But...he

didn't really...

"Look! Down there!" Zelos cried.

The three of them looked down at him, Sheena yelped.

"W-what is that thing?!"

Thing...? What was she...?

"Woah-!" Lloyd jumped back a step.

Around him was what looked like the body of a giant spider and though he could see through it,

he assumed that was not the case for the people up above him.

"Looks like you're in a bit of a pickle, Zelos!" Seles jeered.

"A girl who killed the members of her village and two traitors who shamelessly came back." the

Lloyd up above taunted. "Tch. What a fitting end."

"If you think you can run, run!" Kunchinawa jeered.

"You'll be sucked in by that circle and die!" Seles added.

The trio running were sucked in deeper, starting to look panicked.

"At this rate we'll be eaten by that thing." Kratos gritted his teeth.

"WHAT!? No way!" Sheena cried.

"I do NOT want to be a meal, thanks!!" Zelos cried.

That's when Mithos appeared on the scene, in his 'Yggdrasill' form.

"That monster will bestow eternal suffering on you." the half-elf said. "If it devours you, you will

niether live nor die, but stumble through darkness and pain for the rest of internity."

"Not cool, man! Not cool!" Zelos cried.

"Allow me to save you, turn over Colette and swear your loyalty to me." Mithos smirked.

Sheena and Zelos were going through trials of their own, but Lloyd was most hit with the one

concerning Kratos and the look alike that spoke his darkest thoughts.

"You couldn't stop Mithos." the other Lloyd said to Kratos. "And you couldn't protect Mom."

Lloyd felt a jerk. No, Kratos couldn't protect Mom...but...

"But this time you can redeem yourself! You've turned away so many times, all you've got to do is

turn away one more time. Then the world will be saved! Mithos will save it!"

Lloyd was all but growling, enraged at seeing 'himself' supporting Mithos' twisted goals.

"Mithos will...save the world...?" Kratos muttered.

Lloyd flinched. No...Kratos, don't listen to him!

"Yeah, and he'll even forgive you for betraying him." the illusion of himself told Kratos, smirking

slyly. "Let's build the ideal world Mithos envisions together. Just you and me..."

That's when Mithos pulled out the big guns.

"Dad." the illusion said.

Lloyd went wide-eyed with a mixture of shock and guilt. Kratos had visibly flinched at the word,

almost stumbled even, the pain evident in his face. Lloyd knew now that Kratos was tempted to

believe it now, tempted to believe it so he could escape his past problems...and have a son that

would call him 'Dad'.

"This...this is absurd." Kratos snapped.

Regardless of his words, the expression on his face showed too clearly that he had been hit. By

that one word...the one word that Lloyd could never bring himself to say, yet it always crept into

his lips...

"Guys!" Lloyd shouted. "Don't be fooled by them! The real me is down below!"

The trio running looked down, seeing a red and orange spider.

"Lloyd?! Did you get eaten by that thing?!" Sheena gasped.

"No! It's really me! Those illusions- they aren't real!" Lloyd shouted.

"..."

Kratos looked down at the spider and for a split second, he saw Lloyd's face.

"...So it would seem." he stated.

"So...these really ARE fakes." Zelos said.

"Fools! The real Lloyd is here! That voice is an illusion! A trap!" Mithos cried.

"Shut up!" Lloyd cried. "Guys, think about it! Do you really want Seles to die, Zelos? Do you

think it's better if Mizuho becomes part of the age of lifeless beings, Sheena? Besides, I'd never

go along with Mithos' ideals!"

"I know." Kratos stated. "This Lloyd is only an illusion that lives within my heart. It tries to

appease me by allowing me to run from the things I have done..."

"Appease? Why would anyone appease YOU?" Mithos snarled. "You, all of you! Everyone

would have been so much happier had you not been born! You all are cowards! You have no

worth!"

"There's a significance in being born." Lloyd said. "If you're alive, your life has value!"

"Value...I have value?" Sheena whispered.

"Heh...so I AM a sorta-valuble Zelos, huh?" Zelos laughed.

"Value..." Kratos whispered.

"Ridiculous! No life has value merely by being alive!"

"Then if that's not good enough for you, I'll give them another value!" Lloyd snarled. "They are all

valuble because they're my friends! My friends...my dear, dear friends!"

"Lloyd..." Kratos closed his eyes. "I'll be there in a second."

"Dad, are you running away again?!"

The word again, it hit Kratos, that was obvious, but he quickly shook it away.

"I can not run from my past! Lloyd, allow me to make up for the foolishness of overlooking

Mithos brutality!"

"DAD! Are you choosing that fake over me?!"

Kratos was expecting it this time, but it still hit him. Regardless...his will manged to overcome.

"Begone! Illusions of Mithos and Lloyd! My SON needs me!" Kratos exclaimed.

Lloyd went wide-eyed as his jaw dropped, his eyes misting over with what might have been

tears. Kratos stopped moving against the magic circle and was sucked down into it, falling

through the floor and right in front of Lloyd.

"..." Kratos looked at Lloyd.

"..." Lloyd smiled. "Nice to have you back..."

"..." Kratos smiled as well.

A few moments later, they were joined by Sheena and Zelos. After a quick minute of concluding

that running never solved anything, they headed off once more to find their friends, Colette joining

them moments after.

"...Hey, guys? Can you...uh...go a minute? I want to talk to Kratos..." Lloyd trailed.

"Huh-? Oh. Oooooohhhh..." Zelos smirked. "M'kay!"

Sheena smiled, "See you in a minute."

Colette merely giggled, following the other two away. Lloyd looked at Kratos, who could only

look at him as he felt the color drain from his face. Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck.

"What...what you said a minute ago..." he blushed.

"...What about?" Kratos asked cooly.

"...That was...really a low blow." Lloyd said. "Having that thing pretending to be me..."

"...I suppose..." Kratos trailed.

"...I'm sorry." Lloyd said. "If...that's what you think I think about you. I mean...you did your best

to protect Mom, I know you did.You also did your best to help us...and I'm very happy you did."

"..."

"...When you said..." Lloyd trailed. "That...I needed you, um...well...thanks."

"...Why are you thanking me?" Kratos asked.

"...Well...because you called me...you called me your son." the teen managed to finish.

"...But you are my son." Kratos stated. "Why do you need to thank me for stating truth?"

"Well...because I never..." Lloyd frowned. "I never call you..."

"..."

"Er...well, come on. We've gotta find the others."

Lloyd walked off ahead, Kratos staring at him sadly. The teen looked back at his father, sighed,

and then turned to face him fully. He took a deep breath and summoned his will power...

"Are you coming, D...?"

Lloyd had to force the word. He could do it, he had to do it, but...why was that one word so

hard to say? Why was it so hard to just blurt it out and get it over with?

"D..." Lloyd grimanced, struggling to say it.

After all that had happened, all his friends had said, why couldn't he say that word?!

"Da..."

Kratos' eyes had widened, taking notice at what Lloyd was trying to do.

"Dad." Lloyd finally finished.

"..." Kratos gaped at him, his eyes misted.

"...Dad. Are you coming, Dad?" Lloyd asked.

"...Yes." Kratos nodded, unable to hide the smile creeping onto his face. "I'm coming."

"..Heh heh." Lloyd grinned. "Okay then, let's go!"

The teen walked off and Kratos followed him, looking happier than he had been in many, many

years. After finding the rest of the group, they found the Derris-Emblem, which Kratos explained

to them.

"So it didn't affect me because I had the sword..." Lloyd trailed.

"...But the ability to use it is your power." Kratos stated. "...Good job."

"...Th-thanks...Dad!" Lloyd grinned.

Needless to say, the group was pretty shocked after hearing the infamous 'D' word.

Heh heh. I considered having him manage to say it only when Kratos left but then I

would have to write the part where Kratos left...I DO NOT LIKE THAT PART! GOD

DAMMIT KRATOS! YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED! YOU SHOULD HAVE

STAYED WITH YOUR SON! (Hurts self)

Er...ahem. Anyway. I'd wanted to do this for a long time so...what do you think? n.n